Canceled flights, burning door handles: Heat hits Southwest

A bout of extreme heat in Arizona led to the cancelation of nearly 50 flights out of Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport Tuesday. Larger Airbus and Boeing jets have maximum operating temperatures of 126 or 127 degrees, and so won't be affected unless temperatures in Phoenix go off the charts, the airline says.

Temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, are likely to peak at 120F (48.8C) on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), which issued an excessive heat warning that will remain in effect until Thursday.

The airline is the only one so far to have reported cancellations.

Phoenix and Las Vegas are used to 110-degree heat, but temperatures above 115 are rare.

Traphagen says the new color-coded advisories will help people avoid heat-related hazards - not just heatstroke but medical conditions made worse by heat, like heart and lung disease. The all-time high temperature for Sky Harbor Airport was 122 degrees on June 26, 1990.

The National Park Service cautioned tourists there about the "EXTREME SUMMER HEAT" in a warning on its website.

Phoenix hit 118 degrees Monday, tying the record for the date set past year.

The hottest temperatures will arrive in the Southwest Monday and last through the end of next week.

He says second and third degree burns from hot asphalt and concrete, playground equipment, auto and truck interiors and scalding water from outdoor hoses are common when temperatures exceed 100 degrees. Temperatures yesterday reached a scorching 110 degrees and it doesn't look like the heat - "at least it's a dry heat", the locals will say - is calming down anytime soon.

Firefighters across California are battling several fires including one near Big Bear spreading to 850 acres and a grass fire in Sacramento that broke out during Monday's evening commute.

Alex Yanez, a field supervisor for Southern California Edison in Ontario - where the temperature is expected to reach 104 on Tuesday and was still 92 degrees at 11 p.m. ET on Monday - said he'd warned his crew to expect a long day, "especially Tuesday and Wednesday". Drivers reported the giant cracks forming on the road and the lanes were repaired, reported CNN affiliate KGO. During the watch, people are encouraged to drink more water than usual and avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar.